When using a regular canister vacuum cleaner today, a housekeeper typically drags the canister behind him/her by pulling the hose. Normal cleaning operation is performed by maneuvering the nozzle amidst different pieces of furniture on the floor and by holding on to the upper portion of the stiff (metal) hose tube. When stretching out to reach and clean further away (in corners etc.), the canister follows behind, as on a leash. Consequently, the operator must also exert a pulling force on the canister. The pulling force is especially noticeable if the canister must pass over carpet edges, sills etc., which may be inconvenient.
Another practical problem with canister vacuum cleaners is that, when pulling it, the canister sometimes gets stuck behind obstacles, i.e. table or chair legs, bed corners, etc. If so, the operator must stop pulling, turn the hose in a direction away from the obstacle and cause the canister to circumnavigate the obstacle by pulling in different directions. This can be both tedious and annoying.
As will become evident hereinafter, the present invention addresses these problems by, among other things, causing movement of a tethered vehicle, such as a vacuum cleaner, in response to tension vectors on the tether (i.e., vacuum hose) and contact to the vehicle with an obstacle. The following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,083,396, 3,439,368, 3,676,885, 3,753,265, 3,896,832 and 4,173,809, are referenced, and distinguished from the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,083,396 (Senne et al) relates to a vacuum cleaner control wherein the motor-fan unit can be turned on or off by movement of the hose with respect to the canister. The Senne et al patent can be differentiated from the present invention in that Senne et al does not disclose the automatic movement of the vacuum cleaner in response to tension on the vacuum hose or contact with an obstacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,439,368 (Myers) discloses a vacuuming machine for cleaning the bottom of a swimming pool. The machine is provided with a guide control system which will change the direction of travel a predetermined amount as the machine encounters obstructions to the side or front. Myers' vacuuming machine can be distinguished from the present invention in that Myers' machine does not incorporate a driving aspect in response to the tension on the tether.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,676,885 (Wulc '885) discloses a suction cleaner vehicle which moves in accordance with preprogrammed instructions. When the vehicle impacts an obstacle, a multi-directional switch mechanism operates to rotate the vehicle away from the obstacle. As with the Myers patent, there is no disclosure in Wulc '885 relating to the movement of the cleaner vehicle in response to the tension vector on a vacuum hose as in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,265 (Wulc '265) discloses a cleaning vehicle which is an improvement over the Wulc '885 patent, previously discussed. The main distinction in Wulc '265 over Wulc '885 is the location of the drive mechanism being separate from the vehicle so that an operator can manually control the driving mechanism. However, Wulc '265 does not mention or even suggest the movement of the vehicle in response to tension being placed on the tethered hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,809 (Ku) discloses a vacuum cleaner apparatus which moves randomly across a carpet and changes direction of movement whenever an obstacle is encountered. As with the references described before, Ku does not disclose the movement of the vacuum cleaner in response to a tension on the tethered vacuum hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,892 (Kohls et al.) discloses a manual control for a self-propelled vehicle. A forwardly ex longitudinally of the tiller by an operator to regulate the direction (forward/reverse) and speed of operation of the vehicle drive motor. From a neutral position, the tiller can be moved to the rear to reverse the drive motor, and can be moved forward to energize the drive motor in two forward speeds. This is accomplished by three switches (70, 71 and 72) illustrated in FIG. 6 of the patent.